Thohoyandou, South Africa

I have arrived here in the Limpopo Province to stay in the town of Thouyandou for the month of December. As we drove north from Jo'berg everything began to get greener and greener, the houses and Jo-Jo's (water tanks) were disappearing between the lush trees and then the mango trees began to appear. There are mango trees everywhere here- along with banana trees and leechie trees- the soil is so red and fertile that vegetables and fruit is grown in every yard. The fruit tastes so sweet- like it have been soaked in sugar!

December is the school holidays for the kids and I am staying at a home for orphans that is run by one grandmother who saw a need- a need for children to have a safe place where they can attend school and have dreams. Her community was not doing anything about these children so she took them into her home. Today there are about 23 children from newborn to mid 20's that live with her- they are each eager to learn and have many dreams! Some of the girls want to be lawyers- so they can help protect people. Or they want to be Doctors so that they can help people who are sick from AIDS- their dreams will come true because of the love and support that Mama Lydia is giving them.

Today I watched the older guys help pack a truck full of supplies to take to Zimbabwe- each of the kids went through their clothes to give them away and they have collected food, fuel and other items to send over the boarder as they know how much the people there are suffering. Although the Zim boarder is only 1.5 away from here it is like a world away- Here in Thouyandou we have clean water, the streets are safe, our super markets are full of food and we are safe. What is happening in Zim is a crime and people have suffered for too long.